My neck/head creaks!

[Bozzi]

I have severe hypochondria. First I worry about my heart palpitations - thinking I have heart failure or some sort of circulation problem and that's triggered my anxiety for months. This month I'm worrying about my bones, specifically my neck/head.

When I am sitting normally, watching the TV or whatever I do, I hear my head creaking from the slightest of movement even if I turn my head 1cm to the left it makes a creaking noise. It's as if there is friction - the base of my skull and spine rubbing together. I'm worried I have arthritis or something but I'm only 20 years old. I can't relax nor watch TV with my head in a comfortable position as i hear a creak. It seems to get worse when i keep my head in a still position for 5 seconds and slightly move it slightly to the right/left or down motion.

Does anyone else get this sensation? I'm going crazy because of it I can't bring myself to stop thinking of it or testing the creak sound. It's even to the point where I feel depressed thinking I have arthritis at 20 and now have abnormal head creaking that will be there and get worse for the rest of my life! :( help i need reassurance.

[cattttt]

I'm 57, but I've had this for years - as long as I can remember. It's just the normal sounds of your neck that get amplified because they're near your ears. It doesn't mean you have arthritis.

[overhead_drums]

Hi bozzi,

I get this sometime and it does feel and sound very weird. I agree with cat, the creaking is amplified because of where it is in relation to your ears, it's like if your jaw clicks it sounds massively loud, most "head noises" do.

I'm 24 and I get this, I don't think you should be worried.

P.s don't spray wd40 on your neck, I don't think that will work.

Take care x

[Elle-Kay]

The key phrase in your post for me is "I can't relax". Most anxiety sufferers have a tendency to subconsciously tense their neck and shoulder muscles. I know my shoulders move towards my ears by several cm when I'm especially anxious, as I'm tensing them without realising! If your muscles are tense, there will be resistance as you use them, which will be amplified because of proximity to your ears as others have said. I hear my neck creaking sometimes too.

Try an exercise: If you take a deep breath, and really put your mind into your shoulder and neck muscles, focussing on relaxing them as you slowly breathe out, do you feel your shoulders drop and your head feel sort of heavy and "unsupported" (it's not)??

[jayjoe18]

I'm 19 and had this for a few years too, not all the time but I've experienced it in the past, I don't think it's anything serious though but I know you still can't help but worry. I put mine down to tension and how I hold myself, I'm always anxious so my body is always tense, which causes my neck & head to be tense and so that's why I think I get these sorts of symptoms. I used to get head zaps too from tension, oh how nice it is to suffer the mental torture of health anxiety aswell as physical problems it brings!

[sparkle_1979]

I'm 34 and have the exact same thing. I can't look up or down or to the side without it sounding like a bowl of rice crispeies. It's scares me too .. her is a link xx

---------- Post added at 19:27 ---------- Previous post was at 19:24 ----------

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=121230

This is a post I sent a few mths ago